"What kind of ending was that?"
A visible frown appeared on Asuka's face, staring at his smartphone in disbelief. Today marked the end of the long-running novel: Extra Takes It All. In a word, the story was edgy—a cliché, sure, but still entertaining, at least in its prime. It had once been a trending hit on webnovel platform until the second half of the story started going downhill.
Frustrated readers began dropping the novel, and the author faced heavy criticism on social media.
"Just wait for the ending!" That was his copy-paste reply to every hate comment.
"So, you think destroying the world and killing off every character you spent hundreds of chapters building up is interesting?"
A cold, sarcastic laugh escaped his lips.
"My ass! I deserved at least an average payoff for the insane time I wasted on it."
His voice echoed through his compact room.
Asuka was one of the few readers who had stuck it out, hoping that the frustrating developments would somehow lead to a worthwhile payoff. But the author's replies had been nothing more than a blatant scam.
"How did I fall for this? Damn it! I even took a day off work for this crap."
With a huff, Asuka turned off his phone and threw himself onto the bed. His eyes stared blankly at the ceiling, seething with frustration. He wanted to jump onto the forum and curse the author out, but what was the point? Hardly anyone was left on the forum, and those who remained wouldn't even care. The time he'd wasted wasn't coming back.
He was powerless.
More like empty.
With a heavy sigh, Asuka closed his eyes, trying to calm himself down.
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"You new bastards, listen up! There are only two rules here, either you work, or you become fertilizer for the soil."
A harsh, unfamiliar voice echoed in Asuka's ears. His hands felt like they were made of lead, his body aching and drenched in sweat.
What was going on?
He hadn't even gone to work today, so why was he feeling so exhausted?
It was as if he'd been doing backbreaking labour in some poor factory or construction site.
Panting, Asuka's eyes snapped open.
"Huh?"
Where was he?
His confused, scared gaze fell on a heavy bucket filled with shiny ores. His now frail, long hands were struggling to carry it.
Just a moment ago, he had been in his small but comfortable room, and now he was in a dimly lit, dark cave.
"But I just blinked..."
His heavy eyes darted around, trying to make sense of the situation. The cave was vast, filled with hundreds of workers wearing the same worn-out clothes as him. They were slaving away, digging into the ground with their weak hands to extract blue ores—the same ores he was carrying.
Blue, shiny ores?
Was it a coincidence?
As he tried to piece things together, a chilling realization hit him: 'Are these mana ores from... Extra Takes It All?'
But before excitement could take hold, he paused. "No, I can't just jump to conclusions. Blue ores exist on Earth too. Maybe I time-slipped into the past or something..."
"That bastard's zoning out again! Do you want to die that badly?"
The same harsh voice made Asuka flinch, making a turn towards the source.
It was a man with a muscular build and a large frame, his dagger-like eyes locking onto Asuka's. It took only one look for Asuka to realize this man was different from the rest. His clothes, the gun he carried, and most importantly, the aura around him—it was intimidating.
*Gulp.
"Maybe I should just keep working for now," Asuka mumbled, turning back to follow the line of workers depositing the ores they had extracted.
Suddenly, something else caught his attention...
"Wait, that logo..."
Asuka turned back again to get a better look at the muscular man. On his chest, there was a logo of three swords lined up together.
"No fucking way, that's... Roth's logo!"
Asuka recognized it immediately—the three identical swords arranged diagonally. It was Roth's logo. While the organization themselves didn't hold much significance in the story, their connection to the Ethereal Society made them something you didn't want to mess with.
Roth, as an organization, didn't play a major role in the storyline and was only briefly introduced, as so Asuka's knowledge of them was limited. All he knew was that they were a branch of the Ethereal Society— a gathering of the world's most influential figures, protected by the Twelve Seats of the Hollowed Assembly.
'Why am I here? Don't tell me now I'm an extra...'
"Next!" The loud voice snapped Asuka out of his thoughts. It was his turn to deposit the ores he'd extracted.
Swiftly, Asuka placed his metal basket on the table in front. The man at the table began examining the contents for authenticity, after a brief check, he waved his hand "Okay, good. You need to extract ninety more to complete today's quota," the examiner said, his uninterested gaze already shifting to the person behind Asuka.
Asuka quickly moved aside and quietly followed the others to extract more ores. 'How am I supposed to escape? It's Roth, after all. I don't think it's possible with this weak body even more. Don't tell me I'm stuck labouring here for the rest of my life... What did I do to deserve this? All I did was curse the author a little.'
As frustrated as he was, he noticed something odd. He wasn't acting like himself. Why was he so calm in a situation like this?
'Something's wrong with me... don't tell me I am dreaming,'
Ding.
Just then, a blue screen appeared before Asuka.
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{A/N}
Q: If you guys would have transmigrated into a that frustrates you, what would you have done?
A: 1. Nothing, enjoying the chill and slow fantasy life.
2. Now I am the protegonist.
3. Ladies, I am that mysterious guy so you are free to flock around me.
4. Other.